Precise assembly of semiconductor heterojunctions is the key to realize many optoelectronic devices. By exploiting the strong and tunable van der Waals (vdW) forces between graphene and organic small molecules, we demonstrate layer-by-layer epitaxy of ultrathin organic semiconductors and heterostructures with unprecedented precision with well-defined number of layers and self-limited characteristics. We further demonstrate organic p-n heterojunctions with molecularly flat interface, which exhibit excellent rectifying behavior and photovoltaic responses. The self-limited organic molecular beam epitaxy (SLOMBE) is generically applicable for many layered small-molecule semiconductors and may lead to advanced organic optoelectronic devices beyond bulk heterojunctions.

This paper presents recent kinetic and flame studies in plasma assisted low temperature combustion. First, the kinetic pathways of plasma chemistry to enhance low temperature fuel oxidation are discussed. The impacts of plasma chemistry on fuel oxidation pathways at low temperature conditions, substantially enhancing ignition and flame stabilization, are analyzed base on the ignition and extinction S-curve. Secondly, plasma assisted low temperature ignition, direct ignition to flame transition, diffusion cool flames, and premixed cool flames are demonstrated experimentally by using dimethyl ether and n-heptane as fuels. The results show that non-equilibrium plasma is an effective way to accelerate low temperature ignition and fuel oxidation, thus enabling the establishment of stable cool flames at atmospheric pressure. Finally, the experiments from both a nonequilibrium plasma reactor and a photolysis reactor are discussed, in which the direct measurements of intermediate species during the low temperature oxidations of methane/ methanol and ethylene are performed, allowing the investigation of modified kinetic pathways by plasma-combustion chemistry interactions. Finally, the validity of kinetic mechanisms for plasma assisted low temperature combustion is investigated. Technical challenges for future research in plasma assisted low temperature combustion are then summarized.

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The initiation features of two-dimensional, oblique detonations from a wedge in a stoichiometric hydrogen-air mixture are investigated via numerical simulations using the reactive Euler equations with detailed chemistry. A parametric study is performed to analyze the effect of inflow pressure P 0 , and Mach number M 0 on the initiation structure and length. The present numerical results demonstrate that the two transition patterns, i.e., an abrupt transition from a multi-wave point connecting the oblique shock and the detonation surface and a smooth transition via a curved shock, depend strongly on the inflow Mach number, while the inflow pressure is found to have little effect on the oblique shock-to-detonation transition type. The present results also reveal a slightly more complex structure of abrupt transition type in the case of M 0 = 7.0, consisting of various chemical and gasdynamic processes in the shocked gas mixtures. The present results show quantitatively that the initiation length decreases with increasing M 0 , primarily due to the increase of post-shock temperature. Furthermore, the effect of M 0 on initiation length is independent of P 0 , but given the same M 0 , the initiation length is found to be inversely proportional to P 0 . Theoretical analysis based on the constant volume combustion (CVC) theory is also performed, and the results are close to the numerical simulations in the case of high M 0 regardless of P 0 , demonstrating that the post-oblique-shock condition, i.e., post-shock temperature, is the key parameter affecting the initiation. At decreasing M 0 , the CVC theory breaks down, suggesting a switch from chemical kinetics-controlled to a wave-controlled gasdynamic process. For high inflow pressure P 0 at decreasing M 0 , the CVC theoretical estimations depart from numerical results faster than those of low P 0 , due to the presence of the non-monotonic effects of chemical kinetic limits in hydrogen oxidation at high pressure.

a b s t r a c tIn this study, numerical simulations using the inviscid Euler equations with one-step Arrhenius chemistry model are carried out to investigate the effects of activation energy and wedge angle on the stability of oblique detonation surfaces. Two kinds of cellular structure are studied, one is featured by a single group of transverse waves traveling upstream, referred to as LRTW (left-running transverse waves), and the other is featured by additional RRTW (right-running transverse waves). The present computational simulation reveals the formation of un-reacted gas pockets behind the cellular oblique detonation. Numerical smoked foil records are produced to show the emergence of the two types of transverse waves and the evolution of the unstable cellular structure of the oblique detonation. The transverse wave dynamics, including the colliding, emerging and splitting types, are found to be similar to the normal detonation propagation, demonstrating the instability mechanism is originated from the inherent instability of cellular detonations. Statistical analysis on the cellular structure is carried out to observe quantitatively the influences of activation energy and wedge angle. Results from the parametric study show that high activation energy and low wedge angle are favorable to the LRTW formation. However, the condition for the RRTW formation is more complex. In the case of low activation energy, small wedge angle is beneficial to the RRTW formation, as to the LRTW formation. In contrary, for high activation energy, there appears one moderate wedge angle favoring the RRTW formation and giving the shortest length between the onset of both LR and RR transverse waves. For quantitative comparison, we analyze the variation of two distances with the wedge angle, one is between the detonation initiation and LRTW formation points, and the other between LRTW and RRTW formation points. Results show the latter is relatively less pronounced than the former, indicating the RRTW formation depends mainly on the activation energy and the generation of LRTW.

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Characteristics and measurement of supersonic projectile shock waves by a 32-microphone ring array Rev. Sci. Instrum. 82, 084902 (2011);In this paper we report on a numerical study of the blast flowfield generated by a supersonic projectile released from the open-end of a shock tube into ambient air. The Euler equations, assuming axisymmetric flows, were solved using a dispersion-controlled scheme implemented with moving boundary conditions. Two initial test cases were calculated. One of them is for validation of the numerical method and the other for verification of the moving boundary conditions. After good agreement was achieved, four further cases were calculated for examining effects of various projectile speeds and different release times of the projectile after the precursor shock wave was discharged. The present numerical study confirms that complicated transient phenomena exist in the initial stages shortly after projectile release, and that the blast flowfield is much more complex than that which can be inferred from muzzle blast studies where combustion products obscure the flow.

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